Service with a Byte: Building a New Model of Customer Service October Conference at Dartmouth College Kathryn D. Soule University of Virginia

Computers at the University  14 Libraries  Owns and maintains its own computers in each library  IT Division  15 computer labs on campus  2 labs are located in libraries

Brown Science & Engineering Library  Service Desk handles circulation and reference questions and is staffed by library staff and undergraduate student assistants.  47 computers that are maintained by a Library tech staff member.

IT Division (ITC)  ITC Computer Lab – staffed by Lab consultants who are undergraduate students who work hours/week.  25 computers that are maintained by ITC

Issues  Library patrons, particularly students, did not distinguish which questions should be directed to the Library (informational) and which should be handled by IT (technological)

Issues  Students, faculty, and staff expressed the need for library spaces to be flexible multi-tasking environments.  Technology needs were inexorably linked to inter-disciplinary curricular needs and scholarly research.

Committee  Committee convened by Associate University Librarian for User Services & ITC Director of Computing Support Services  Goal of the Committee  Transform the existing service/help desk models  Provide better support for the teaching, research, and learning environment in the library.

Committee Members  Library members  Two Library directors (Clemons & Brown)  Director of Library Information Technology Services  Coordinator of Outreach & Public Service for Brown Library (Chair of the Committee)  IT members  Manager of Desktop Computing Support  Manager of Research Computing Support

Process  Defined the IT/Library shared universe of knowledge.  Developed a common understanding of the distinction between general and specialized support services for the Library and IT.

Pilot Program-Fall 2004  One unified Service Desk where customers could ask circulation, reference and computer questions.

Pilot Program-Fall 2004  Library and IT co-supervision of the IT Lab Consultants on-site in the Library.  Increased hours for the IT Lab Consultant at the Service Desk to meet the needs of customers during peak hours.  Joint training sessions for IT and Library student assistants which focused on base-line skills and information

Update-Fall 2005  The undergraduate library has implemented the program in their library  The Humanities/Social Sciences Library (UVa’s largest library) will be implementing program in the Spring 2006 semester

Lessons Learned  Address the differences in organizational culture  Customer Service  Expectations of Student Assistants  Training  Be realistic about goals  Too ambitious about how to use the students at the service desk